African leaders have been advised to adopt long time strategy geared at advancing the development of the people they lead.
The former Mozambique president, Joaquim Alberto Chissano gave the advice when he delivered a 2nd day lecture series in Tamale on the topic; Reflection on leadership, good governance and development in Africa.
Mr Chissano who is the special guest speaker at the 3rd University for Development Studies (UDS) Africa leadership public lecture told African leaders that development does not happen overnight.
African governments, Mr Chissano said, need to understand that today's citizens are more aware of their rights and change government officials to remember that they will be held accountable by their own acts.
What Citizens want from their leaders, he noted, are food security, peaceful society to live and basic human needs.
African politicians make promises that cannot be fulfilled and should endeavor to deliver on their promises because it's the hallmark of a good leader, Mr Chissano observed.
Leaders must be able read the minds of the people and provide them their needs adding leadership requires organizational structures. Mr Chissano also warned African leaders to beware of what social media can cause them reminding them that, the Arab spring implications is glaring on their faces. “Leaders see things and don't believe what they are seeing”.
Mr Chissano who was the one time winner of the Mo Ibrahim index prize called on African countries to adopt effective leadership style such as the Mo Ibrahim index of awarding good leaders to serve as a motivation to others.
Training of young people who will become future leaders tomorrow should be a necessity to leaders. Advising young aspiring leaders, Mr Chissano said students in particular must be good servants before becoming excellent leaders. “Best leaders are those who have never aspired to become leaders; You will be deceived by your peers when you rush to become a leader,” the 1997 Africa prize laureate advised.
Taking audience through the history of Mozambique pre-independence days, Mr Chissano recollected how difficult it was to get Members of Parliament MPs in their legislature. He recalled that some were selected through direct interviews by panels who asked direct questions relating to their personal lives. The illiteracy rate was so high to the extent that some provinces could provide qualified candidates to be vetted to represent them.
The draft constitution was given to citizens on separate papers to read. Before that, the country was operating one party system. The outcome of the debate saw overwhelming majority opting for multi-party system.
“The Importance one will have is to be able to manage the risk” -Joaquim Chissano
Alluding to his own country, he said, Illiteracy rate at the time in Mozambique was over 80% coupled with weak security and state institutions. African leaders have to be leaders of their own changes instead of following everything created by the western countries, he advised.
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